President Donald Trump has stated that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will not be fully reinstated until ‘Radical Left Democrats’ end the government shutdown, which has entered its second month. The statement was posted on his Truth Social platform, where he criticized the program for being overly generous under former President Joe Biden, claiming that benefits had skyrocketed due to lax oversight.
SNAP, the nation’s largest food aid program, is currently under threat as funding was set to expire on Monday, leaving 42 million Americans at risk of losing benefits. The Trump administration has announced that it will partially resume SNAP benefits for November despite the ongoing shutdown, but the full resumption of benefits is contingent upon Democrats passing a funding bill to end the shutdown. The administration has informed a federal judge that it will allocate $4.65 billion from a contingency fund to keep the program operational for the month of November.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has indicated that the expiration of funding may not be enough to persuade Democrats to end the government shutdown. When asked if Democrats would be persuaded to support a GOP federal funding bill, Jeffries responded negatively. Meanwhile, Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has pushed for new legislation seeking special funding for farmers and food assistance programs, aiming to reinstate federal funding for the Farm Service Agency and SNAP. Hawley has expressed frustration with the situation, stating that Democrats should be held accountable for ensuring people have access to food.
SNAP supports over 40 million Americans and has come under recent scrutiny over its expansion and the administration’s efforts to ensure eligibility is strictly maintained. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has targeted the program for review, citing concerns about eligibility and oversight. The program’s future remains uncertain as the government shutdown continues, and the administration faces pressure to find a solution to prevent millions of Americans from losing access to critical assistance.